Subaru Land-and-Air

Land-and-Air 
Subaru
Ebisu, Shibuya, Japan
www.subaru.co.jp

On May 13, 2020, Subaru Corporation filed a patent application with the US Patent and Trademark Office for a hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) motorcycle which can drive on the road and transform to fly in the air for Urban Air Mobility (UAM).

The patent uses the name Land-and-Air vehicle for it's one passenger ground and air motorcycle. According to the patent, the rider will have the option to drive and fly the motorcycle using a steering wheel and/or a joy stick. The vehicle's frame is a motorcycle with two wheels, a gasoline engine and then an added fuselage, windows, wings, a generator and propellers powered by electric motors.

When traveling on the ground, the tilt wings will retract to the sides of the motorcycle. Before takeoff, the wings will move out, tilt upward and the vehicle will take off like a helicopter, the wings will tilt to the horizontal position and then fly like a plane.

According to patent sketches, the propellers on the wing will have five electric motors in each nacelle and there will be at least one electric motor powering the rear VTOL propeller. No other information is available concerning the Land-and-Air hoverbike.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Hybrid-electric motorcycle and hoverbike
• Piloting: Rider 
• Capacity: 1 passenger 
• Cruise speed: Unknown
• Range: Unknown
• Propellers: 3 propellers
• Electric Motors:  Possibly 11 electric motors on this hoverbike, with each wing nacelle having 5 electric motors. There would be at least one electric motor on the rear VTOL propeller.
• Power source: Gas engine generating electricity for the propellers and for the onboard batteries
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite 
• Windows: Canopy over cockpit and a window in each door
• Wings: Two main tilt-wings
• Landing gear: Motorcycle wheels 

Resources:

• Subaru website 
• Article: Subaru Is Designing a Flying Motorcycle, a New Patent Suggests, Robb Report, Apr. 5, 2021